ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria’s new trash and recycling collection days take effect on Monday, Oct. 6.
Trash will be collected on Tuesdays and Fridays instead of on Mondays and Thursdays. Recycling collections will occur on Tuesdays for the northwestern half of the city and on Thursdays for the southeastern half of the city. Yard waste collections will continue on Mondays.
Waste Management recently distributed a press release that said, “And for convenience, and to reduce curbside clutter, Waste Management is providing side-door collection service for trash, recycling and containerized yard waste for all residents. Bundled yard waste should still be placed curbside.”
Side-door service entails Waste Management employees retrieving trash and recycling receptacles from the side of the residential property, emptying them and returning them to the side of the house.
The change in service days occurs at a time when Mayor Mark Short and others remain displeased with Waste Management’s performance with the side-door service that’s now mandatory for all residential properties, including homesteaded permanent residences.
On Aug. 14, city commissioners approved the change in service days requested by Waste Management and amended the city’s existing agreement with the company. The amended agreement requires Waste Management to provide side-door service for all residential properties at no additional cost for the remaining months of the agreement that expires in June. The citywide side-door service was supposed to take effect immediately. Side-door service was previously required, at an additional cost, only for non-homesteaded residential properties, including short-term vacation rentals.
When considering the change in service days, the mayor and commissioners expressed concerns about Waste Management’s past side-door service performance. On Sept. 25, they revisited those concerns.
“I’ve been experimenting,” Short told the commission. “I’ve been taking my trash out from behind the (house) and putting it on my driveway. Last week, the trash got picked up and the recycling guy didn’t pick anything up. This week, neither got picked up on Monday.”
Short said his wife, Pat, called Waste Management and a customer service rep told her their trash was supposed to be picked up on Tuesday. At the time, the change in service days had not yet occurred. Pat then spoke to a customer service supervisor who said their residence wasn’t signed up for side-door service.
The mayor then emailed Waste Management Government Affairs Manager Brenna Haggar and he was told these concerns would be investigated.
“Today, trash day, I took my trash can halfway down my driveway, not all the way to the street, and they didn’t pick it up again,” Short told the commission.
When speaking to a customer service supervisor, the mayor was told the company had no record of Anna Maria requiring side-door service.
“But they’ve been perfect on my street,” Commissioner Chris Arendt said, noting he’s had side-door service for the past two weeks.
After noting that Waste Management District Manager Chris Sawallich attended the Aug. 14 meeting, Short said, “He knows what they’re supposed to be doing. They have failed miserably.”
Commissioner Charlie Salem said, “If they’re not living up to their end of the bargain, should we reconsider moving our services days to accommodate them? If they can’t pick up the mayor’s trash right, I’m not sure we should have confidence they’re going to pick up anybody’s trash right.”
“That’s a legal question,” Short said.
During past discussions, Short said the city will seek proposals from other companies when considering the renewal of the Waste Management agreement next summer.
